ON THE RIVER · INDIA RIVER CRUISES

India River Cruises: 5 Worth Booking

5 river trips  ·  from $16 a head

Good india river cruises sell their best seats weeks ahead. Below: the 5 to book early, what each fare includes and how they differ once you are aboard.

Varanasi : Full Day City Highlights Day Tour & Ganges Cruise - 5:30am on the Ganges
Full-Day, India River Cruises, River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours

Varanasi : Full Day City Highlights Day Tour & Ganges Cruise

1.Full Day City Highlights Day Tour & Ganges Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 520 reviews · 10 hours · from $61Our pick

Start at 5:30am with a Ganges sunrise boat ride and riverside rituals, then explore Varanasi’s temples, old lanes, Banaras Hindu University, silk workshops, and Sarnath. Your private vehicle, guide, and hotel transfers are included. Guides such as Anmol, Shivam, and Mohan are praised for clear explanations and flexible planning.

“Our stellar Varanasi experience wouldn’t have been possible without Anmol. Highly professional, cheerful, helpful and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend taking a tour with him.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Full-day private Varanasi tour with AC car, boat & Sarnath - Walking Varanasi’s old lanes and sacred temples
Full-Day, India River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours

Full-day private Varanasi tour with AC car, boat & Sarnath

2.Full-day private Varanasi tour with AC car, boat & Sarnath

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 103 reviews · 10 hours · from $61Top rated

Start at 5:30am with a private sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, then explore Varanasi’s ghats, temples, alleys, BHU, silk weaving, and Sarnath by air-conditioned car. Guides such as Anmol and Saurabh Rajbhar are praised for patient explanations and flexible pacing. The day ends with Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

“Anmol took me on an amazing tour of Varanasi. 1000% recommend him!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Varanasi & Sarnath: Full-Day Tour with Ganges Boat Ride - Ghats, alleys, and the human side of Varanasi
Full-Day, India River Cruises, River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours

Varanasi & Sarnath: Full-Day Tour with Ganges Boat Ride

3.Varanasi & Sarnath: Full-Day Tour with Ganges Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 87 reviews · 10 hours · from $55

Start at 5:30 am with a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, then explore Varanasi’s ghats, temples, BHU, and old lanes before visiting Sarnath. Return for the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Private air-conditioned transport, hotel pickup, a guide, water, and selected entry fees are included.

“I had a great day with Rahul.. very talented, patient and knowledgeable.. highly recommend this tour. As a solo female traveler, and my first time in this amazing city of Varanasi I felt super safe on this tour. Thank you once again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Canal Cruises, India River Cruises, River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours

Alleppey: Shikara Boat Ride with Village Tour & Canal Cruise

4.Alleppey: Shikara Boat Ride with Village Tour & Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 65 reviews · 3 hours · from $16Best value

Spend three hours on a private shikara through Alleppey’s canals, lakes, paddy fields, and villages. Guides such as Shibu, Rahul, and Anasudheen share local stories, point out birds, and help with photos. You can arrange sunrise, morning, or sunset departures, with village stops and optional meals available at extra cost.

“We did this tour at 3:30pm, right on time to see the sunset. It was amazing! Our tour guide Shibu gave us some insight on the different islands, canals and lakes. He took some lovely pictures for us and then took us to a place where we could hold and take pictures with an eagle. He went above and beyond, letting us have a go at the wheel and even let us use his comb when I said my hair did not look good in a picture. When booking, don’t be discouraged by the 6am start, that’s just a placeholder. You can message the number provided and arrange a suitable…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Golden Hour on the Ganges - Sunrise Boat Tour - The meeting at Hotel Ganges Grand
India River Cruises, River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours

Golden Hour on the Ganges – Sunrise Boat Tour

5.Golden Hour on the Ganges – Sunrise Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

Join Ancient Varanasi Tours for a small-group boat and walking tour around Varanasi’s southern old city. You’ll ride a hand-rowed boat, watch the Ganga Aarti near Dashashwamedh Ghat, taste chai and street food, and hear local stories from an English-speaking guide. Guide Anmol has also helped Spanish-speaking guests.

“observer la ville depuis le gange.n où nous aurions aimé rester un peu plus longtemps. Anmol fut un très bon guide, enthousiaste et connaussajt l'histoire de sa ville! Anmol, fut un très bon guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Other lists on this water

Canal Cruises191Dinner Cruises116Nile Cruises85Sunset River Cruises39Luxury River Cruises53River Sightseeing Cruises52
Scroll to Top

Explore by river

Pick a waterway, a city or a kind of evening.

Great rivers

Nile CruisesThe SeineThe DanubeThe ThamesThe Douro

Canals

Canal CruisesAmsterdam CanalsDutch CanalsBangkok KlongsVenetian Canals

Kinds of evening

Dinner AboardSunset SailingsAfter DarkLive ShowsLuxury Boats

How you ride

Hop-On PassesAudio GuidePrivate ChartersYachts